Statement by Secretary Kerry: Veterans Day Message

November 11, 2013 – I join all Americans in celebrating the brave men and women who answer their country’s call and the families that support them, and in remembering the promises we must keep to our nation’s veterans.

Putting on a uniform and leaving your family behind to serve your country creates a lifelong bond among veterans. Veterans fight for their fellow vets and measure commitment in actions, not just words. That is another reason why I join Secretary Shinseki in urging the United States Senate to approve the Disabilities Treaty, so that our wounded warriors are able to work, travel, and live abroad with the same dignity and respect they enjoy at home.

I am also particularly mindful of the meaning of Veterans Day for the State Department. It’s been said that “war represents a failure of diplomacy.” The State Department is committed to advancing diplomacy, day in and day out, so that if and when we have to send young Americans into harm’s way, it is only because we have exhausted all other options.

I’m exceedingly proud to work alongside the more than 7,000 veterans who are part of the State Department family – men and women who have served in all branches of the military and in every major conflict since Vietnam. These inspiring men and women of the Department continue serving their country out of uniform with the same patriotism they demonstrated when they wore the uniform of their country in battle. We should never forget the sacrifices made by our veterans and their families. But we should especially remember them today. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

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